Steering-gear.



FATENTED DEG. 3l, 190'?.

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PATENTED DCA 3L 1%?.

G. G. PORTER.

I STEERXNG GEAR.

APPLIGATION NLRB Juin-1 1()I 19o?.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 einen s'rn'rns entrent' einleiten.

GEORGE G. PORTER, OF 'SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORv TO THE POMPIER-CABLE MACHINE CO., OF SYRAC'USE, NEW YORK., A CORPORATION Ol" NEW YORK.

STERRNG-GEAR.

l Specification of Letters Fatemi.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907.

Application filed inne l0, 1907. Serial No. 378,202.

.To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnonon G. PORTER, n citizen of the United States, residing' :tt Syracuse, in the county ol Onondaga and Stn-te of New York, have invented certain new and useful linprovenients in Steering-Gears, ol which the following' is a specilicntion.

My present invention pertains to improvements in steering-gear for automobiles and like vehicles, the construct ion ond advantne'es of which will be hereituil'ter set l'orth, reference being had to the annexed drmvings, wherein 1 Figure/ 1 is n vertical sectional view oi' the steering-gear: Fig. E n vertical sectional view tnh'en on the line 2-^2 ol' Figi l; Fig. 3 n top plnn View oi the ,gear with the steering-post find nllied parts shown in section, Fig. 4 e perspective View oi the bevel pinion emplohved in the egefn'; Fig. 5 n, sectional elevztion olthe combined gen1' and shni't: hie'. ti n detail view olt the swinging frame or enrrier on which the tif'nwlineT pinion is mounted; Fig. T nn end elevation oll snid pnrt; Fig'. o n perspective View of the axle upon which the traveline'pinion is mounted; and Fig. Q.

nn end elevation thereol rThe 1n nin object ol" my pres .1', invention is to provide n simple and etlicient device in which all shock due to 'the Wheels ol' n, vehicle meeting' an olrstruction is I irevented i'roin beineY transmitted to the steeringwheel through the steering-post nndto the bevel gear connected to the post ntnd the bevel pinion meshing' therewith.

A l'nrther object of the invention is to provide n simple and efficient means l'or securing 'proper nd'iustment 0lE the parts so thnt the.)y will work closelyY and easily and yet be copa,- ble ol' adjustment so to compensate for weer.

vWith the construction shown and hereinnite/r described in detail the p'nrts linchlock perfectly. ltnrtherntore, the paints mary be comparatively light and still oll sollicient strength to rresist rond shocks. The gen1 may be readily positioned in any ein', and tiny desired :ingle "of operation ol" the steering-post and steeringmember be readilyY Ubliaiincd.

As will be evident, there is t minimum omonnt oi friction in the operation ol' the parts, and, therefore, the question ol' lubrication is greatly simplified, it being' unnecessary to have the ports `flooded with oil, ns in the cese oi worm. grenriner and et her strut-t ures in which etmsideintbley friction is present.

rllhe housing l'or the genring is composed ol' n two-pnrl shell or cosine', the ports being desie'imted b t A :nid i3. rl`he member A is provided with nn nnnnlttr openim, in its up? per tace which is interimll)1 tln'eznled for the receitit'm ot the lower tln'ended end ol.' the supporting column or bearing' member tf.

As will be noted upon reference to Figs. t and I, the shell or easing is split nud provided with cnrs fl) whieh, when the member C is sc'rwv'ed down into its ndjnsted position, tney be chnnped so ns to hold the parts ogninst movement.

lvionnted wit hin the hearing nnetnber ti is the steerinepost C, wrijving nt its lower end n, bevel geni' pttrit :nid tln'ot'tle-control rods designated iiU G :jmd .li nre wisselt down throngh the steeringtpost and in'ongh the lower portion ot thel shell or cosine' A., the ctins'tructtion. `being;` thntthese members nmy be so positioned without in on); ninnner interfering with the rest ci the niechnnisrm n point ot rnnfiilest ndvnntnge.

Located within the ci'ilorged portion otE the slieil or casing B is n riugshnped member or gen1' l, the meinberbeing inode inst to the shell and provided with n series ot' teeth, sary, twenty, upon its inner face. A second gear J is also mounted within this portion oi the shell B standing innnedizttelyv adjacent to the geur l. but being' tree to rotnte within the shell or casing. rioni gent J is t'o'rnied upon the outer end. ol n sl'init or axle iti., the other end ol which is sqnnred ond has secured to it the steering member il. A socket or bearingI M. is lormed in the nxie K, snio socket receiving' the axle N oi n pinion-carrier O. A second ntxle t, extending' outwardly. from 95 the opposite side ol seid pinion-cnrrier, projects into n bearing; formed in the shell or member A, ns will be clearly seen upon refortnce to Fig. l.

rlhe foce ol the carrier ndincent to the axle i) is formed with nu nnnultn' projection ,which is afterwards run luider n millingv cutter nini(- ing i'olr cuts through the projection and thereby tor-mine' lugs Q, it, t, T, the lint faces oll which sto nd :nl incent to the n-xley i. These lugs receive between them the squz'ired end U oil n. bevel pinion V, which hitter is slipped over the nxle. i :rnd when the ports are in .position meshes with the gent' it. This l'ornntt'ion ol' the locking ings is :t cheep manner 110 'iti of producing the parts. It is conceivable, of eourse, that 'they might be4 otherwise made, but the method set lorth insures the accurate litting` of the squared portion VlJ between the lugs.

The lower end of the pinion-carrier is provided with slotted arms l/V and X, the slots being adapted to receive the squared ends Y and Z ol the journal or axle A upon which is mounted a pinion As will lie-seen upon referenee to Fig. l, said pinion is of sueh breadth as to overlie both the gears l and J and the teeth ol' the gear i (twentjT in number) and the teeth oll the gear l ttweiily-one in number) are, so formed` as lo mesh with the pinion and yet permit rotation or movement el the pinion over the same.

'lhe side l'aees ol' the squared ends 'i' and Z ol the journal A stand at sliglilly d illerent distances vlrom the eenter ol said. journal, the dillerenee ,beingrelalivelj slight `but sulii cient so that il' the journal be withdrawn lrein the slotted arms W and X and turned bel'ore being rei'inlered adjustment lor wear may he elleeted. lhis allerds a ready means ler compensating lor wear olI the parts, without the necessity of using adjusting screws, nuts or the like. j

The gear F may be kept in 'proper mesh with the pinion V by merely loosening the bolt which clamps the ears l) and screwing the member C down .upon vthe upper llat faoe of the gear F, thereby `moving the gear down into proper Working rela-tion with the pinion. When proper adj ustmeiit ishad the parts are again clamped.

'llhe operation ol the :neehanism will be readily appreeialed. l'pon turning the steering wheel and eonseouentl \r l'he steering-post, motion vk Cll be transmitted li'oin gear l to bevel pinim V and lln'ough said pinion to 'the pinion-` prier or 'frame and as a eonsequenee the pinion Al will be caused to more around upon the lixed gear i. Bj reason ol" the dillerenee in the number ol" teeth in the gears l and l the gear J and its attaehed parls, will be advaueed omitoo'lll l'or eaeh eomplete revolution oli the pinion earrier or 'l'rauie about ils axis. 'llnerel'oro Vl'or, say, iive revolutions ol' the piaimerai-Vier t) the gear l will he :ulvaneed rheullsianee ol hre teeth, or about one-'l'ourth ot ils eu'eumler enee. 'lhis ell'eeting a nun/ement oli the' steering member li throughninetydegrees, will be sullieient to 'throwlfhe wheels hard over 'lron'i one"sid e to the other.

The ratio of the gearing as shown isabou t eight turns of the hand-*wheel to one coinplete revolution el" the steering member li. ln other f wds, it takes two revolutions of the hand n heel or steeringfpost to throw the steering member L through an are ol ninety degrees, whieli as will be readilyr ajipreeiated er1/tese it `has been demonstrated that the eonstruction herein described is positively hack# all road\shoeks' on the lhe baekloeking just referred to takes plateV by reason of the laet that the tooth or teeth olt the pinion B which .in mesh with the gears .l and 'l' aet as a key and prevent rota tion ol the gear J through. anv i'oree applied to said gear through the sha-it il; and the arm li. rlhe dill'erenee between any two adjaeen'l. teeth oly the gears i andV .l is so slight that no motion ean he transmitted to the pinion through the shaft li. in other words, the pinion serves to look the gear J to the tast gear l. lt will be appreciated, liowever, that the shall l and its gear .l mayV be readiljr rotated by power applied to the pinion B through the connections herel-o'lore scribed. 'lhegear may be said to be universal. as the steering niemberii may be operated through am are. desired witlu'iut regard to lhe position in which the shell or easing is mounted in the ear. if it were disconnected it eould be turned over and over in either direetion.

'lhe steering arm. iii be operated through. any are and. is not eonl ined or limited in its trav-d, as is the ease with those gears .whieh empoy worms, segments or similar aetuating meehanisln. in whieh the.. movement is neeessarily limited. l`he two parts et' the asing, desigiialed hy A. and B, maj,4r be so bolted. logeth/.r as to seenre an)T desired angle oll inelination o'lt the steering-post. ln other words, the steering-post may stand perpendieular 'or evenbe brought down tov a horizontal position and the operation of the gear is not aller-ted thereby. I i'iiiother leature ol" advantage is that the wear of the leeth is distrilniled over a large area, whieh ohriaies the dillieultj,r whieh obtains with other gears' in `whieh the wear is eon'lined to bul: a l'ew teeth, with lhe resulting baek-lash in some positions and overtight lit-ting in others.

'lhe direetion ol"`tlie operation may be made lo eonl'orm to whatever is re piired by lransposing the teeth ol the internal gears; that is to sav, it the gear l is inade with twenty-one lteeth and' gear i with twenty teelh the direel'imi o'l movement oll the. steering member li relatively to the hand-wheel would, be opposite to that shown inthe drawn ings. lla-ving thu s deseribed my invention, what l elan'n is:

l. in eoinbin ation with a steering member va steeringpost/:a gear seenred to the steers is but little more than is usually required to j ing member;` a. :lined .gear provided with a turn the lwheels l'rom hard over to hard over. i gr `aler number olteeth than the iirst gear;

smoes pinion meshing willi both ol said gears; and connections between the steering-post and the pinion loi' moving the loller over the f2. in combination with :i steering niein ber; a toothed nieinber conneeled thereto and movable l herewith; :i lined toothed ineinber, one olI said toothed ineinbeis having a grenier number oi teeth than ihe other; a pinion ineshing vwith both ol said toothed members; :i steering-posi; and coi'inections between said post and the pinion for travers ing the saine over the toothed inenibers.

l5. in eonibiimlion 'with a steering-post; a ilileeiing member; a gear movable with said ineinhei; a fixed gear, the number of teeth upon one gear being' greater than that on the Cri 5. ln-combination.with a steering-post; a

steering member; an internal gear movableA steering member; a l'ixed internal gear, theI number oi" teeth upon said gears being (idlereiil j. s pinion meshingl with said gears; a journal i'or said pinion; polygonalprojections on the ends olf` the journal, the 'ilatfliaees of the projections standing at different distances l'i'oin the center' or' the journal'a pinion-carrier, said carrier being provided with arms to receive the pol gonal projections oli the jour nal; a bevel pinion secured to the carrier; sind a bevel iai' meshing with the bevel pinion and sec ed to the steering-post- 7. ln combination with a steering;post; a steering member; an internal gear movable with said men'iber; a iixed internal gear, said gears having different numbers of teeth; a pinion meshing' with both ot said gears; a journal lor the pinion; polygonal projections on the ends of the journal, the various flat iaees of the projections being at different distances from the axis of the journal; a pinion-carrior provided with arms to receive said projections; and means interposed between the steering-post and the carrier for actuating the latter.

In comi 'nation with a steering-post; an actuating member secured to the lower end thereof; a shellor casing provided with a threaded opening; a supporting or bearing vn'ieinl'ier for the post7 said member having a threaded end adapted to enter the threaded opening; and means lfor clamping the shell upon said threaded end. l

9. In combination with a steering-post; a

bevel gear mounted upon the lower end thereof; a steering member; a bevel pinion for actu ating said 'in ember, said pinion meshing with the gear; a shell or casing having a threaded opening; and a bearing member foi the post, said bearing member having a threaded end adapted to enter the threaded opening and to bear uponthe upper face of the bevel gear and maintain it in proper mesh with its pinion.

10. In combination with a steering-post; a bevel gear mounted upon the lower end thereof; a bearing member for said post pr0- vided with a threaded` end; a shell or casino having a threaded opening to receive sai( end; means for securing the shell and bear ing member in their adjusted positions; an axle mounted in the shell; an 'internal gear carried thereby; a steering member secured to the axle; a second internal gear secured within the casing, one gear having a greater number or' teeth than the other; a pinion -ineshing with said gears; a pinion-carrier rotatable within the gears; and a beveled pinion secured to said carrier and meshing with the bevel gear carried by the steering-post.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE G. PORTE.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. CABLE, GILss B. EvnnsoN. 

